Total births
13,204
Girls' name · since 1901
Kaye
Since 1901, U.S. Social Security records show 13,204 babies named Kaye, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8986
- among girls today
- 13,204
- born since 1901
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Kaye is the #8986 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 13,204 recorded since 1901.
Social Security Administration records show Kaye recorded 13,204 times among girls since 1901, holding rank #8986 nationally today, ahead of 49% of girls, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1901 to 2025.
- #8986 among girls today
- 13,204 born since 1901
- 1940s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kaye is currently the #8986 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 13,204 born since 1901, peaking in the 1940s.
- #8986
- among girls today
- 13,204
- born since 1901
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Kaye vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8986
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 49% of names given to girls today.
1940s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Kaye was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
538 babies were named Kaye in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaye compares
13,204 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kaye's all-time total is 35x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaye | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 13,204 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 538 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kaye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kaye's full recorded timeline at 1966, 14% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 86% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2011, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1947 peak of 538 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kaye at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#8,986
Active since
1901
Kaye popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1901–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 538
- Annual births at peak, across 125 years of records
Kaye popularity over time - boys
503 total births recorded since 1920 (Kaye as boys' name)
Kaye by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Kaye's strongest decade.
4,334 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Kaye births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 18
1900s
18 births
- 1910s 181
1910s
181 births
- 1920s 293
1920s
293 births
- 1930s 1,442
1930s
1,442 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,334 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,537 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,008 births
- 1970s 495
1970s
495 births
- 1980s 374
1980s
374 births
- 1990s 209
1990s
209 births
- 2000s 138
2000s
138 births
- 2010s 101
2010s
101 births
- 2020s 74
2020s
74 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 4,334 births (33% of all-time use).
How Kaye compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kaye's total volume
Kaye vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kaye by state
Where Kaye concentrates geographically, total births since 1901
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Michigan | | 789 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 701 | 5.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 591 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 587 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Wisconsin | | 542 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 513 | 3.9% |
| #7 | California | | 509 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Utah | | 468 | 3.5% |
Michigan share of Kaye's total US births 6.0%
Even split
789 of 13,204 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Kaye appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaye? ▼
13,204 babies have been named Kaye since 1901. It currently ranks #8986 among girls. The peak year was 1947 with 538 births.
When was Kaye most popular? ▼
Kaye was most popular in the 1940s decade with 4,334 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Kaye most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaye are Michigan (789 births), Texas (701 births), North Carolina (591 births).
How long has the name Kaye been used? ▼
Kaye has been recorded in Social Security data since 1901, spanning 125 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kaye? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kayla, Kaylee, Kay, Kayleigh, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kaye's data
- Kaye's decade-level peak was the 1940s (4,334 total births); usage has since declined to 74 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Michigan records the most Kayes (789 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Michigan names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kaye
Nearby Names Like Kaye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaye
Kayla Girl
#337 346,570 births
Kaylee Girl
#220 140,425 births
Kay Girl
#3897 98,621 births
Kayleigh Girl
#731 34,561 births
Kaylie Girl
#1239 22,101 births
Compare Kaye side by side: Kaye vs Kayla Kaye vs Kaylee Kaye vs Kay
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaye
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1901–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaye: #8986 Girls' Name - 13,204 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaye. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kaye draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.